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Fourth Circuit Court Rules Against Trump’s Travel Ban

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May 25, 2017

RICHMOND — Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling against President Trump’s March 6 executive order banning the entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. The challenge was initiated by HIAS, IRAP, and several other groups and individuals impacted by the executive order.

After hearing oral arguments en banc on May 8 in this case, the court today ruled that the Plaintiffs have “more than plausibly” argued that the order’s “stated national security interest was provided in bad faith, as a pretext for its religious purpose.” The ruling goes onto say that the executive order, in context, "drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination."

“The groundswell of public protest against the bans has been inspiring and unrelenting. The people have spoken, as has the judicial branch,” said Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS. "The courts have reaffirmed that HIAS' challenge to this unconstitutional order will likely succeed, and communities across the country continue to stand up against the Muslim ban.”

While this ruling specifically upholds the preliminary injunction against the six-country ban issued by a federal judge in Maryland, the refugee ban proposed by this executive order is also currently on hold following a preliminary injunction issued by a U.S. District Court in Hawaii. That case had its most recent hearing on May 15.

“The American Jewish community owes its very existence to America’s willingness to welcome refugees and immigrants of all faiths. Many of our own families arrived in America seeking freedom from religious persecution. We cannot now be silent—we will continue to fight for the values that truly make America great,” Hetfield said.